Addition of Low-dose Interferon Alfa to Nexavar® Does Not Improve Kidney Cancer

Addition of Low-dose Interferon Alfa to Nexavar® Does Not Improve Kidney Cancer Outcomes

In a Phase II clinical trial, the combination of low-dose interferon alfa and Nexavar® (sorafenib) did not appear to be any more effective than Nexavar alone for the treatment of metastatic renal cell (kidney) cancer. These results were published in Cancer.

The kidneys are each filled with tiny tubules that clean and filter the blood; this process removes waste and makes urine. Renal cell cancer (RCC) is a cancer involving these tubules of the kidney. Metastatic RCC refers to cancer that has spread from the kidney to distant sites in the body.

Nexavar is a targeted therapy that has been approved for use in selected patients with liver cancer or kidney cancer. Nexavar is designed to reduce blood supply to the cancer and to slow cancer growth. Interferon alfa has also been shown to be active against metastatic RCC, and researchers hypothesized that the combination of interferon alfa and Nexavar could be more effective than either drug alone.